The Accelerated Research for Transition, or ART, program is the Department’s current public-facing transition pathway for moving promising SBIR/STTR Phase II technologies toward Phase III outcomes, including production, operational use, and sustainment.

FY2027 federal budget analysis for government contractors and business leaders. Explore defense spending, DHS and TSA changes, FAA modernization, VA growth, budget cuts, and strategic opportunities across the federal market.

Squared Compass is proud to announce that we have been officially recognized by the State of Texas through the We Hire Vets Program, a prestigious designation that highlights organizations committed to hiring and supporting military veterans. This recognition reinforces our mission to build a high performing, purpose driven workforce while contributing to veteran employment across Texas.

Congress had a chance to release misconduct investigation records with victims protected.

Instead, the House voted 357–65 to bury the proposal.

We broke down what H.Res. 1100 would have required and compiled the full list of lawmakers who voted to send it back to committee.

Transparency or secrecy? See the vote list and decide.

Alliant 3 Phase 1 awards are out. GSA selected 43 initial contract recipients from 133 bidders, kicking off a phased rollout toward 76 total awards (plus ties). See the full winner list and what the first wave signals for federal IT modernization and upcoming task order competition.

After years of performance challenges, deployment pauses, and oversight scrutiny, the VA is resuming EHR deployments at additional VA medical centers under a revised rollout strategy. For government contractors supporting VA health IT modernization, the 2026 restart represents both opportunity and elevated execution risk.

At the center of the debate is a list of ten demands Democrats want written into law as conditions for funding the department. Supporters describe the demands as accountability measures. Opponents argue they amount to major policy changes pushed through the budget process.

The Pentagon just launched the LYNX Platform, designed to help companies assess readiness, clarify next steps, and connect to defense opportunities.

We broke down what LYNX is, why it was built, and how small businesses can actually use it, without the buzzwords.

This shutdown is partial, not total. Six of the 12 annual appropriations bills were already enacted, leaving a sizable slice of federal operations funded and a larger share of day-to-day discretionary activity suddenly in limbo.

Government contractors do not just need a place to park cash. They need a banking partner that can handle payroll-heavy operations, long payment cycles, and the internal controls that come with multi-user finance teams. For service-based contractors in particular, the right bank or credit union can make payroll smoother, reduce fraud risk, improve visibility across contracts, and create a clear path to working capital financing.

If you are new to government contracting, three issues decide whether you can compete, win, and perform without getting eliminated on a technicality:

As courts, states, and federal agencies dismantle long-standing race- and gender-based set-aside programs, including but not limited to. 8(a), DBE, HUB, and M/WBE requirements, contractors face a major shift. This article explains why these programs are being changed or eliminated, the impact on government contracting, and the essential steps firms must take now to remain eligible, compliant, and competitive in a race and gender neutral procurement environment.”

On a 60 to 40 vote, senators advanced a plan to reopen the government and keep it running on last year’s spending levels until January 30, 2026. 7 members of the Senate Democratic Caucus and 1 Independent crossed over to help pass the procedural hurdle.